• Irum Gilani, Ziyad Afzal Kayani, and Muhammad Atique.
• Department of Blood Transfusion Service (BTS), AJK, Central Blood Transfusion Service, A.K. CMH, Muzaffarabad.
• J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. 2007 Aug 1; 17 (8): 473-6.

ObjectiveTo assess Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) regarding voluntary blood donation prevalent in medical and paramedical personnel having basic level of awareness on the subject.DesignCross-sectional Study.Place And Duration Of StudyThe study was conducted in AK CMH, Muzaffarabad, from 15th March 2003 to 15th September 2003.Patients And MethodsFor the assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding voluntary blood donation in medical and paramedical personnel, 83 doctors and 83 paramedics were interviewed. A pre-tested close-ended questionnaire was designed according to the basic level of awareness of paramedics regarding voluntary blood donation. Variables used in the study were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Thereafter, Chi-square test was applied to see association between level of awareness and the actual gesture of voluntarily donating blood.ResultsMaximum number of doctors was in the age group ranging from 30 to 50 years while maximum paramedics were in the range of 30-40 years of age. Sixty three out of 83 doctors were blood donors that makes a percentage of 76, whereas 34 out of 83 paramedics were blood donors that makes a percentage of 41.Chi-square test was applied on two groups to compare the association between increased level of awareness and act of donating blood. Our statistical results supported this association (c2 = 20.85) and value fell in the rejection region accepting alternate hypothesis and rejecting null hypothesis (c2 Z. 3.84). A 49.2% of blood donations by doctors (whether random or regular donors) were voluntary and this percentage for paramedics was 35.3. Among doctors, only 3.40% were regular Voluntary Non-remunerated blood Donors (VNDs), whereas no one was found amongst the paramedics. Forty percent of non-donor doctors and 63.3% of non-donor paramedics stated the reason for their non-donation as "no one had ever asked them to do so".ConclusionIt is concluded from our study that there is an urgent need to create and strengthen programs for motivation, recruitment and retention of Voluntary Non-remunerated blood Donors (VNDs) in our country on the basis of following observations of the study:- More blood donations from medical doctors are observed in our study as compared to the paramedics. This phenomenon seems to be related to the basic and advanced medical education of doctors that obviously tends to increase their level of awareness manifolds as compared to the paramedics. Maximum number of non-donors (both medical and paramedical) in the study stated the reason of their non-donation being "no one has ever asked them to donate blood". This implies that even the increased level of awareness on the subject does not result in actual act of donating blood. It would, therefore, not be justified to expect from general public 'humane gesture of preserving life' without creating in them awareness of the importance of voluntary blood donation.

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